#j-1-visa

#j-1-visa

I did my J-1 in Chicago at a time the Cubs were still cursed by the Billy Goat, French fries were 'freedom fries', Tom Brady and Kobe Bryant were the new sporting icons, and La Résistance were the WWE's biggest villains. I was part of the college student droves that skittle into various cities, towns and resorts across America, each summer. I travelled to Chicago alone, with ER episodes and a barely touched Lonely Planet as the height of my research.

Last month, the US Embassy in Dublin announced that students applying for J-1 visas will undergo 'comprehensive and thorough vetting' of their social media.

The Trump administration has targeted over 1,000 students and recent graduates for visa revocation, altering their legal status at more than 170 colleges in the U.S.